News of: Wednesday, 28th of November, 2012

Front Page

Every morning and evening, they would walk swiftly through the crowds in the country's many industrial zones and hardly anyone would notice them. Yesterday, as 53 of them made their final procession, the nation took a pause.

Activists yesterday urged US rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs to push for better working conditions after revealing clothing for his fashion line was made in a Bangladeshi factory where 110 staff died in a fire.

The co-financiers of Padma bridge project would sit today at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) headquarters to decide on a new implementation strategy for having more control over procurement, said finance ministry officials.

Testifying in two cases yesterday, a freedom fighter said he was tortured by war-crimes accused Azad and others after Jamaat leader Mojaheed held a meeting with a Pakistani army officer and Razakars at Faridpur Circuit House.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is likely to give Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's administration another ultimatum for restoration of the caretaker government system in today's mass rally in the capital, party sources said.

The High Court yesterday made a split order on a petition challenging the legality of running a money-laundering case in a lower court against BNP Senior Vice-chairman Tarique Rahman and his business partner Giasuddin Al Mamun.

Israel's former foreign minister Tzipi Livni announced her return to politics yesterday at the helm of a new party called The Movement, nearly seven months after stepping aside following a primary defeat.

Editorial

It is welcome news that Malaysia is going to officially withdraw its ban on recruiting Bangladeshi workers after a lull that lasted four years. But more welcome than that is the fact that workers hoping to work in the Malaysian labour market may not be fleeced as before. As per newspaper reports, the government-to-government agreement allows for job seekers to pay maximum Tk40,000 to avail work opportunity in Malaysia.

The Chitttagong flyover girder collapse almost coincided with the Savar garment fire shocked the entire nation. It was again another instance of collective irresponsibility on the part of Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), firms in charge of construction and consultancy, ministry of works and district administration. This led to the avoidable deaths of 12 people so far.

Sports

The Bangladesh national team suffered a setback in the lead-up to the five-match ODI series against the West Indies, stumbling to a five-wicket loss to BCB XI in their warm-up match at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna yesterday.

While Bangladesh and BCB XI were locked in a warm-up battle at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium here yesterday, West Indies held a practice session at the nearby indoor facilities, with some players peeping into the ground to catch a slice of the action in the middle.

The Citycell 26th National Swimming Championships gets underway from today at the Syed Nazrul Islam National Swimming Complex in Mirpur. Nearly 500 swimmers will be fighting for 42 gold medals amid the uncertainty of using the electronic scoreboard.

After a week-long training stint at the Manchester United Soccer School in England, twelve budding booters from Bangladesh return with a dream of playing for the Bangladesh national team at an international level.

The Premier Division Football League starts today at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong with ten teams fighting it out for the chance to be champions. Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) Eleven will play against Muktijoddha Krira Chakra in the opening match. Each of participating teams will be eligible to play three foreign players in each match, informed SM Sahidul Islam, general secretary of Chittagong District FA yesterday.

Brazil still faces major challenges to stage the 2014 World Cup, particularly with respect to transport and accommodation for the hundreds of thousands of fans, the FIFA secretary-general said here Monday.

Brazilian Football Confederation president Jose Maria Marin on Monday dismissed reports the five-time world champions are going to sign former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola to lead their 2014 World Cup campaign.

Former Norway and Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who enjoyed a glittering career as a player before becoming a successful manager, is the first to be inducted into the country's Hall of Fame, it was announced on Monday.

The IMF has suggested bringing amendments to the Banking Companies Act, saying the existing law has restrained Bangladesh Bank's autonomy leaving scope for government intervention in the bank's supervisory authority.

Parliament yesterday passed a bill bringing changes to the Securities and Exchange Ordinance1969, which will empower the government to set up special tribunals to try cases related to the capital market.

Steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal was to tackle a French nationalisation threat in talks with President Francois Hollande on Tuesday as the finance minister defended the country's credentials as a safe investment location.

Clothing is king in Bangladesh, a country that exports more garments than any other in the world except China. It is responsible for four out of every five export dollars and has turned factory owners into members of parliament and leaders of sports clubs.

Local EU heads of missions, the prime minister of Singapore and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in separate statements yesterday expressed deep shock at the loss of lives in a fire that killed 111 workers of a garment factory in Ashulia on the outskirts of the capital on Saturday night.

Experts yesterday recommended innovative methods to create awareness about tobacco use and amending the tobacco control act by imposing higher duties on tobacco products and raising fines to prevent public smoking.

A prosecution witness yesterday told a Chittagong court that he thought three government high officials knew about the 10-truck arms haul way ahead of the consignment arrived in Chittagong on April 2, 2004.

Mother of Dr Shamsul Alam Khan Milon, who was killed in 1990 by armed cadres of the then autocratic ruler HM Ershad, yesterday urged ruling Awami League to oust Ershad from its alliance for the sake of democracy.

Authorities of all the public universities should arrange students' union elections to strengthen the movement against fundamentalism and communalism in the country, said speakers at a discussion in the capital yesterday.

A Dhaka court yesterday placed Mobarok Hossain, the managing director of the controversial multilevel marketing (MLM) company, Uni-Route Finance and Commerce, on a five-day remand in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

An activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) was killed and 11 others were injured as two factions of the ruling Awami League-backed student body clashed at Gournadi upazila town under Barisal district on Monday night.

Chairman of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Regional Council (CHTRC) Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma yesterday said the CHT peace accord does not see full implementation due to lack of political goodwill among the policy makers in the government.

Two factions of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) clashed at Jessore MM College yesterday. Witnesses said the clash ensued when a faction led by Shariful Islam attacked the procession of another faction led by Shimul on the campus at noon. Both sides used firearms and exploded bombs during the clash that continued for half an hour. Being informed by college authorities, police went to the campus, dispersed the clashing groups and brought the situation under control.

Doctors at Magura Sadar Hospital yesterday called off their indefinite strike following arrest of the accused in the case for assaulting a doctor on Saturday night. The doctors took the decision to withdraw their strike at a meeting held at the conference room of the hospital after police arrested the accused on Monday night, hospital sources said. "We called off our indefinite strike as police arrested the culprit involved in assaulting our fellow doctor", Dr Muktadur Rahman, residential medical officer of Magura Sadar Hospital told this correspondent. Doctors began indefinite strike from 9: 00am on Monday protesting assault on doctor Nirmal Kumar Das by the son of a patient who died at the hospital due to cardiac ailments on Saturday night.

At least 50 people were injured in a clash between two rival groups at Dani Barokapon village in Chatak upazila on Monday. Police said there had been a longstanding conflict between Manik Miah and Anis Ali of the village over a disputed land. On Monday morning, the supporters of the two, equipped with lethal weapons attacked each other, leaving at least 50 people from both sides injured. Being informed, police went to the spot and brought the situation under control. Of the injured, seven were admitted to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital in a critical condition while the rest given first aid at different private hospitals and clinics. Police have been deployed at the village to avert any further clash.

Letters

The latest World Bank report on climate change has warned Bangladesh of being one of the worst sufferers, saying that by 2100 the sea level will rise by up to 3 feet. The sea level rise will cause water scarcity and falling of crop yields, which will exacerbate hunger and poverty in Bangladesh according to the report. The report has also mentioned that the cities located in Bangladesh (and in some other countries) will become highly vulnerable due to the sea level rise. The Germany-based organizations, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Climate Analytics, prepared the report for the World Bank.

I would like to start with the lines of famous Caribbean poet Derek Walcott:“The violence of beast on beast is read As natural law, but upright manSeeks his divinity by inflicting pain.”(A Far Cry from Africa)

Holy Ashura, the tenth day of Muharram, is observed in the whole Muslim world including Bangladesh as a day of mourning recalling the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain Ibn Ali (RA), the grandson of Prophet Mohammad (SM) at the Battle of Karbala. On the day of Ashura this year, the relatives and family members of the victims of two fatal accidents in our country were trying to identify their near and dear ones among the dead. The Ashulia factory fire in Dhaka and Bahaddarhat's under-construction flyover collapse in Chittagong killed at least 111 and 13 people respectively and injured more than one hundred people.

As a departure from the reports of violence and misery that fill the pages of local dailies, a report on a library set up by a young villager along with its photograph sent by a correspondent from Jhenidah, was published in a local English daily on 17th. November. It was indeed a breath of fresh air for all readers who came across the news. Tutul, the young man who was behind this noble effort and his mother, deserve support and encouragement from all quarters. He accomplished the feat through a decade of perseverance and support from many local people. Maybe, your esteemed daily could help them with internet facilities and a computer to give them wider nationwide connectivity. I wish Tutul God speed and good luck for such a noble venture!

The shameless display of rage at the TIB report by; lawmakers in parliament is, sadly, not surprising in the least. For all our vaunted talk of democratic values, we as a people remain fundamentally incapable of stomaching any criticism.

We highly appreciate the decision of the government that there will be no reservation for lawmakers in private school admission process. On the contrary, 5% quotas for children and grandchildren of freedom fighters have been kept in the amended policy. It is also learnt from newspapers that the officials and employees of the education ministry would have the 2% quota benefit in the said arrangement. Perhaps this could not satisfy the guardians of the admission seeking students. This may tarnish the image of the government. As lawmakers are not going to enjoy this advantage, the employees of the ministry should not be provided with such opportunity. All decisions regarding the admission procedure should be pragmatic. So our humble request to the ministry is to please make a healthy competitive environment in the admission process. Hope the authorities would kindly consider the aspiration of the commoners.

Children's Day is observed across the world to celebrate childhood and create awareness about children's welfare. But it is unfortunate that when the day ends, nobody cares about children's rights. Thousands of children still have to pass sleepless nights on the streets. It is the responsibility of the government to look after these helpless children but the government hardly plays its part. Losing a father or guardian, a number of children have to run their family instead of going to school. Many of them get involved in crimes and anti-social activities. We should extend our helping hands towards them for ensuring a better future for them.

International

Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi faced nationwide protests yesterday after digging in his heels over a controversial decree granting him sweeping powers, in the most divisive crisis since he took power in June.

Syrian aircraft attacked towns in the country's north and east and killed at least five people in a strike on an olive oil press as fighting raged in the capital Damascus yesterday, opposition activists said.

Palestinian diplomats on Monday released a draft resolution on a bid for UN recognition as the United States again warned that a successful vote this week could cost the Palestinians dearly in US aid cash.

Greece won breathing space yesterday with long-frozen eurozone loans to restart from December and a first clear admission that a chunk of the country's debt burden will need to be written off down the line.

The 7th Dhaka University Annual Theatre Festival is in its sixth day today. Arranged by the university authority and managed by the Department of Theatre, the fortnight-long festival features plays produced, performed and directed by the students and teachers of the department. Several world classics as well as works of noted local playwrights such as Munier Chowdhury and Abdullah Al Mamun are being staged at the TSC Auditorium, the festival venue.

The Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, in cooperation with the Alliance Française de Chittagong, is organising a Swiss Film Festival on November 28-29 in the port city. Four Swiss feature films will be presented at the Alliance Française auditorium in Panchlaish, says a press release.

OP-ED

We may be living through insipid times here in Bangladesh, but you do have to agree that politics is the one area where we come across some of the thrills we need to carry on in life. Dr. Kamal Hossain and A.B.M. Musa have just enlightened us on what it is precisely that we need to do about the stale and yet riveting nature of our politics. The veteran politician and the veteran journalist have called for politics to be made formalin-free. Which is rather intriguing, considering that of late citizens have been wracked by thoughts of the damage being done to their health by fish and meat and vegetables treated with formalin. Something has indeed emerged from all this concern over how formalin may be pushing all of us to an early grave. In these past few weeks, with quite some degree of fanfare, ministers and other government functionaries have been going around distributing formalin detecting machines to be used in urban markets. Many among us have cheered.

When Abraham Lincoln was told at the height of the devastating civil war that his most successful general, Ulysses Grant, was drinking too much he wanted to know the brand of Grant's favourite whisky so that he could send his general a few cases. Eight decades later, during the Second World War, rumour was rife that Dwight Eisenhower, commander of the European theatre of operations, was having an affair with the lady who drove his car. Censorship ensured that this never escaped the confines of coterie gossip. The American system, sensibly, might not care too much about peacetime generals but it protected its wartime commanders. Grant and Eisenhower went on to become elected presidents.

D-8 consists of the eight most populous Muslim majority countries -- two from South East Asia (Indonesia and Malysia), two from South Asia (Bangladesh and Pakistan), two from Middle East (Turkey and Iran) and two from Africa (Egypt and Nigeria).

After years of indifference the Rohingya issue has drawn interest nationally as well as internationally. While the recent plight of the members of the community has attracted huge international attention and compassion, it generated a negative reaction among the government circles and also in a section of the influential media in Bangladesh.

Alarmed by the recent upsurge in anti-mainland sentiment in Hong Kong, with the more extreme residents openly denying their Chinese identity, Beijing has responded by adjusting some of its policies towards the Special Administrative Region (SAR).